DIY Spray Painting for Rivets (or any small objects)

Happy New Year's Eve!  So for the next couple of post I'm probably going to mix it up with the Infinity Gauntlet building post & other random posts so that I don't bore everyone isn't interested in the Infinity Gauntlet building.  My boyfriend is having a New Year's Day board game get together tomorrow at his house and I decided it'll be the perfect opportunity to whip up some pinspired decoration and decorate with a Game Night theme so those blog post will also be scattered throughout the next couple of post.

For today's post I'm going to start out with a simple yet effective pin I saw (45 weeks ago!) on Pintrest but finally had a chance to try it out.  The original pin was for spray painting pinto beans for decorations  and when it came time to paint the rivets gold (since I couldn't find any cheap gold ones anywhere else) I knew this method would be perfect to paint the rivets....Or at least I had to try the method out since it seemed so simple - and it was!

Pin Rating: 4.5 (I'm sure it would have been a 5 if I was actually using pinto beans)

• Box
• Metallic Gold Spray paint
• Pack of 3/8" Nickel Rivets 
• Pack of 1/4" Nickel Rivets
• Mask or handkerchief to wear while painting

I bought everything, except the box, at Hobby Lobby.  I really wanted to look and feel the rivets for myself to test out the size.  You'll need the 1/4" rivets for the spots where you rivet two plates together (and only 2 plates). The 3/8" rivets are for spots where you need more reach to rivet through the glove and the plates of the gauntlet.  Note: Not all spots that you rivet through the glove will require the longer rivet.

What's nice is that they packaged the top and bottom pieces separately.

Felt Plushie R2D2 - Part 2

Alright, so we're right where we left off after Part 1 of the making of the R2D2 Plushie.  You have the 3 blue pieces sewn into the top head and other parts are pinned in place ready to sew.  I took a lot more pictures during this process since I found some parts hard to understand or explain so hopefully the amount of pictures will help.  I probably should have split it into 3 parts, but you'll just have to bear with me and the really looooong part 2 post.  So here goes part 2!

The next step will be to sew close the bottom part of the circle onto the head piece.  This means only the circumference of the top circle will be sewn down.  The slit down the middle of the head will be open.  Stuff the head so it's at 80% capacity to help you keep it's shape while you sew it close.

You will eventually close the whole top circle securely onto the head panels.  

Felt Plushie R2D2

This is my first attempt at making a felt plushie doll and I'm really happy with the results.  He's 100% handmade with love.  His head turned out a little smaller than I had hopped and his legs are a little buffer than normal...And I probably could have done without the swivel head but I thought it added a nice unique touch and I'm so happy he can actually support his own head (sometimes...).  Despite me pointing out what I think are his flaws, everything turned out okay because he's super cute in his own little way. ^_^

Here's what you'll need:

• Buttons (1 big black one, some small black, red and white ones)
• Blue ribbon (I used some 5/8" ribbon left over from my Pearl Bracelet Project)
• Polyester Fiber Fill
• Blue, white, grey felt - I was lucky enough to pick some up in the remnants bin
• Sewing stuff
• White, blue, grey thread (You'll probably need to switch out your thread to match the felt color you're sewing so more than 1 needle is a plus)
• Cotton Cable Cord (I had left over from my Hex Nut Bracelet)
• 1 rivet if you want a swivel head
• A small piece of Poster board cut out for the feet
• Basic hand stitching knowledge - stringing needles, stitching & knotting threads

I was fortunate enough to have the majority of the materials laying around the house already.  The remnants and the fiber fill I bought at JoAnn's on Black Friday and since they had 75% off remnants and 50% off fiber fill I left with everything (and some other stuff) for about $6 which was very exciting!  Make sure to always look in the remnants bin and keep an eye out for sales and coupons!

Sneak Peak of my Xmas Crafting Gifts

Happy Holidays everyone!  I hope everyone is enjoying some time off and spending it with family and friends.  This year my family celebrated Christmas a little early so it feels nice to be done with all my Christmas shopping and crafting already.  Granted it was a mad rush to finish all the projects in time since I was pretty ambitious, but it was well worth it!  Since tomorrow is Christmas I'm making today's blog post a little short so I can go back to relaxing, but I did want to provide you with a sneak peak of 2 of my bigger projects I did last week.  These aren't items that you can find on Pintrest but hopefully you will be inspired to pin them and try them out for yourself!

For my brother's girlfriend I made her a felt plushie R2D2 with a head that can swivel!

For my boyfriend I made him a working Infinity Gauntlet.  For those that don't know what that is, check it out by clicking the Wikipedia link below.  Credit for the original gauntlet design goes to: David J. Guyton.  I purchased his template and made some slight adjustments so that I can add the gems to the gauntlet.

Photo Credit: Wikipedia 

Blog post for this Wednesday & Friday will be for R2D2 plushie.  Next week I will blog about the Infinity Gauntlet.  Stay tuned for some serious crafting updates!

DIY String Christmas Tree Decoration - Part 2

Alright, here comes Part 2 of the project.  =D After letting it dry the whole night we came back downstair and took a look.  

Everything seemed stiff and holding up fine so it was time to take the paper off the cone.  I love how it still holds its shape without the cone.  We did run into some difficulty taking the cone off because the bottom of the party hat was a little sticky still where the bottom trim was originally. To remedy that just tape over it before you start your project.

So the easiest way to take the wax paper off is to go inside the cone and start peeling the wax paper away on the inside of the tree.  Handle the tree with care since it is fragile.  

DIY String Christmas Tree Decoration - Part 1

UPDATE: So after finishing the project I realized that there were a lot of things I learned and wish I had known/tried earlier but didn't.  Please read both Part 1 and Part 2 completely before attempting the project on your own.  Enjoy!

Pin Rating: 2 (for original pin - hopefully with my tutorial it will make this project a 4/5 for you.)

-----

So today's blog post is a little different because I didn't expect it would take this long.  There is a lot of drying and waiting around involved.  This pin was shown to me by a friend and I decided to tackle this pin.  The original pin doesn't have any instructions and the link leads to what I believe is a Russian website so I figured this would be a great DIY post to get the step by step instructions out there.  I had some help on this one which made it a lot easier and fun to make.  But as you can see from the title, this is only Part 1.  I waited for the project to dry overnight and I'll be unraveling it and decorating it later today so expect to see the post up by Thursday on the completed project.

Here's what I'm using:

• Giant party hat from The Dollar Tree (Or you can use a styrofoam cone for ~$3.99)
• Tacky glue with brush
• 3 sets of embroidery floss (.40 each @ Hobby Lobby)
• Wax paper
• Scrap booking Snowflakes

*Note: The tacky glue will make your string a shade darker once it dries so keep that in mind when you pick out your colors embroidery floss.

Some completed projects

So I'm taking a mini break in blog posting today to update you guys on some completed projects.  I didn't want to post the pictures since they were gifts, but my friends and I celebrated a little early last weekend and opened up the gifts already.  Here's a final look at 2 of the projects.

DIY Scrabble Pillow Cases

For the Scrabble pillow cases I used my own template and fabric marker.  I love the clean look the fabric marker provides for the cases, but unfortunately it uses a lot of ink to fill in the letters.  I'm going to have to use felt lettering for any other pillows I make.  It might take longer, but it's not worth buying a pack of fabric markers just so I can use all of the black.  I'm going to go back to Hobby Lobby or JoAnn's to look for a thick black marker sold individually which might work better for me.

If you would like your own set of Scrabble Pillow cases but don't have the time to make them, I have them for sale in my Etsy shop.

https://www.etsy.com/listing/119560993/scrabble-pillow-case-16-x-16-set-of-4

or individual cases here: https://www.etsy.com/listing/119560783/scrabble-pillow-case-16-x-16

DIY Off the Shoulder T-shirt

Here's the final design of the Off the shoulder t-shirt.  I designed and hand drew the minnie myself (inspired by Vintage Minnie) using the fabric markers I had purchased for the Scrabble pillow cases.  Isn't it cute?!

DIY Hex Nut Bracelet

Original pin: http://pinterest.com/pin/231724343296933783/

Original Blog: Honestly WTF

Pin rating: 4.5

Duration: 30-40 minutes the first time and then it gets easier.  

I love these DIY jewelry that includes hardware materials.  For starters it's cheap to buy the materials AND they add a unique pop too any every day outfit.  There's only 2 materials required for this but it was a little difficult to do at first but then I got the hang of it.  I've made 3 now and It can be done within 15-20 minutes.  One thing I do recommend is that you actually go to the hardware store to pick these up.  It helps to have the materials in hand to identify the size and thickness.  Also it's a lot cheaper in store!

• Cotton Cable Cord (#21 x 150m picked up at OSH for $2.49)
• Cut 3 stands ~30inches.  Original blog calls for 1 yard but I felt like that was too long.
• 18-20 Flat hex nuts (#8-32 100 pack - $2.99) 

*Update* You can now purchase your own Hex Nut Necklace DIY Kit via my Etsy shop

DIY Washer + Ribbon Necklace

Original pin: http://pinterest.com/pin/231724343298464714/
Original blog: Nestled

Pin rating: 4.5

Difficulty: Easy

I love no sew projects and this one in particular was quite fun.  I definitely had an easier time with this one than I did with the pearl ribbon bracelets.  Also loves that this little project required me to make a trip to the hardware store.  I just get all giddy when I'm in there.  That place is so amazing and can inspire so many DIY projects for the home, or in this case jewelry.  My next blog post is also going to be a jewelry piece that includes material from the hardware store so check back on Wednesday.  

So I struggled a little at first in understanding the instructions because it mentions to thread ribbon up or down through the washers but since it has the pictures it made it a lot easier to understand.  I'm going to use the instructions from the Nestled blog and try to clarify anything I thought was confusing.  It was mostly  step 1 where I got confused but everything else was straight forward.

• 20 pieces of 7/16" flat washer (50 pack at Orchard Supply Hardware for ~$3.00)
• 1 1/2 yard of 5/8" wide ribbon

*Update* You can now purchase your very own Washer Necklace DIY Kit via my Etsy Shop.

Tidy Up that Wrapping Paper

(^^ Pin Me ^^)

Original Pin: http://pinterest.com/pin/106116134941406674/

Pin rating: 4.5

So today's Fast & Simple pin is ridiculously fast and simple (as long as you have empty toilet paper rolls) and just in time for your next Christmas wrapping party.  I've seen this pin on pintrest a couple of months ago but never actually had an empty toilet paper roll until today!  The only reason I gave the pin a 4.5 rating is because who really has an abundance of empty toilet paper rolls readily available to use? Time to start saving your empty toilet paper rolls. ^_^

Take an empty toilet paper roll and make one cut down the length of the roll (from one open end to the other) and then take the roll and wrap it around your gift wrapping paper at the loose end.  And voila no more messy loose ends or need for tape.

DIY Off the shoulder T-shirt

Pinspired by: http://pinterest.com/pin/231724343298132064/ & http://pinterest.com/pin/231724343296961753/

This blog post is a little different because I didn't actually follow any step by step blog tutorial from a pin.  This project was actually inspired when I was shopping and there was a really expensive shirt that I wanted to buy and just couldn't afford.  I decided to try my luck at making it and I think it was a success!  I looked over the two DIY t-shirt modified pins on pintrest and got a feel for how they converted their shirts and kind of experimented with it until I was satisfied with the look.  I hope you like the final result as much as I do!  I don't have the picture of the final shirt being worn since this is a gift but I'll make sure to get a final photo and post it later.

• Sewing machine & sewing stuff (needles, thread, scissors, fabric pencil optional)
• Cotton T-shirt 1 size larger than what you typically wear
• Ribbon

DIY Fabric Flower Necklace

Original Pin: http://pinterest.com/pin/231724343298734063/

Original blog: Little Inspirations

Pin rating: 5

Duration: 30-45 minutes

I love making fabric flowers but I never thought of making a fabric flower necklace until I saw it on pintrest.  This is super easy and such a beautiful end result.  My flower template is a little different from the original tutorial but this was the way I taught myself to make the flowers so I just kind of stuck with it for this tutorial.  I also tried out the Fray Check for the first time and I kind of like it except for the fact that it's noticeable when it dries - granted Fray Check is probably better used for clothes that will be washed.  Also, my pictures this time around are all a tint of blue...I'm not sure why but I tried to fix and adjust them as much as possible so please bear with me as I'm still learning the photography aspect of blogging.

• Small flower template
• Fabric
• Felt (not pictured)
• Chain
• Hot glue gun & glue sticks
• Scissors

Optional

• Needle & thread
• Fabric pencil
• Fray Check
• Jump rings
• pliers to break the chain
• Necklace clasp

DIY Hot Glue Snowflake Ornament

Original Pin: http://pinterest.com/pin/231724343298567815/

Original blog post: www.bystephanielynn.com &  http://www.pitterandglink.blogspot.com/

Pin rating: 4.5

Duration: 20-30 minutes

Here's a nice fast and simple project for today's blog post.  And it's great for kids too!  I was watching my nephew the other day and after he finished his homework I gave him the option of reading comic books or making snowflakes.  Since he's not a huge fan of reading and just finished reading about 20 pages for homework he immediately shouted make snowflakes.  So I had him help by reading off the directions from the blog (got him to do more reading after all) and help with glittering.  So I highly recommend this project!  The only thing is that practice makes perfect so don't be disappointed if your first snowflake isn't perfect - mine totally looked rigged but it's okay every snowflake is different!

• Snowflake print out to use as stencil
• Glitter (The glitter shown was picked up at the Dollar Tree) 
• Hot glue gun
• Glue sticks (I used at least 2 for 1 snowflake)
• Soap detergent (to create a buffer for ease of removal)
• Wax paper
• Martha Stewart Glittering Glue w/ Brush (Or Mod Podge and a brush)
• String or wire
• Paper plate (or something to sprinkle glitter all over :))

Oven Cooked Bacon & Bacon Jalapeno Poppers

Original Pin: http://pinterest.com/pin/231724343298689221/

Original Blog Post: http://www.hellohue.com/2011/01/pop-em-like-theyre-hot.html

Pin Rating: 4.5

Duration:
Prep time: 20-30 minutes
Bacon Bake time: 17-20 minutes @ 400˚ F
Popper Bake time 15-20 minutes @ 375˚ F

One thing that I liked about making the Honey sauced chicken in the crock pot was that I can just prep it and then have time to make a second dish.  Also, if you haven't tried oven baked bacon you're in for  treat!  These poppers weren't as delicious as the chicken but they're still a quick, easy and delicious appetizer to bring to a party.

Yields 16 pieces

• 2 jalapeño
• 1 can of crescent roll
• 2 oz cream cheese
• 5-8 slices of bacon (the more the merrier!)  
• Baking sheet
• Foil

Crock Pot Honey Sauced Chicken

Original Pin: http://pinterest.com/pin/231724343298477947/

Original Blog Post: http://mmmcafe.blogspot.com/2010/01/honey-sauced-chicken.html

Pin Rating: 5

Duration: 20 minute prep & 3 hour slow cook in crock pot

I brought this chicken over to a Friendsgiving Dinner party and they were a hit!  This recipe took such little efforts and was so delicious! I doubled the original recipe to bring to the party and used wings since they were easy to grab and eat and I went home with pretty much an empty tupperware.  The beauty of this recipe was that it allowed for me to prep a second dish to bring over to the party as well.  Will definitely be making this recipe again.

• 2 lbs Chicken Party wings (Can use chicken of your liking)
•  1 tsp salt
• 1 tsp pepper
• 1 cup of honey
• 1/2 cup light soy sauce
• 1/4 cup chopped onions
• 1/4 cup ketchup
• 2 Tbs vegetable oil (I used olive oil)
• 1 clove garlic minced
• Dash of red pepper flakes

DIY Pearl Ribbon Bracelet

Original Pin: http://pinterest.com/pin/231724343298464677/

Pin Rating: 3

Difficulty: Medium

Duration: 40 minutes

When I saw this pin I was in awe of how pretty it looked and easy it seemed to be to make.  After I clicked on the link I realized that it was part of a round up blog post and didn't actually include the original link or instructions.  Clicking on the link provided led me to a Pintrest pin and basically I went in circles.  Looking at the link on the website I see that it's a website in another language that I don't see any content.  So all in all I felt disappointed in the original pin which is why I gave it a 3 pin rating.  So I did this pin going off of the pictures alone and felt like this pin is one of the first pins where it looked really easy but wasn't when I actually tried to do it.  Overall result is a great DIY bracelet, but it took a little patience and made me wish I had a 3rd hand to help.  Hopefully this tutorial will help you guy out a lot better than the original pin I found floating around on Pintrest.

• Stretch Magic cord
• Pearl beads
• Ribbon
• Needle with a big enough hole to thread the stretch magic string
• Scissors

 You can probably do this with a regular thread instead of the stretch magic cord if you're making it for yourself so you can make the exact adjustments, but since I'm making these as gifts I wanted some stretch room just in case.  :)

DIY Scrabble Pillow Case

Pillow will spell out "HOME"

Original Pin: http://pinterest.com/pin/231724343298484042/

Pin Rating: 5

Level of difficulty: Medium (basic sewing experience required)

Duration: 1 hr for pillow case + 15 minutes for lettering (For initial pillow case)

It seems as if all of my friends are either looking to buy a new home or have just received the keys to their new place.  Hats off to them!  This gives me plenty of opportunities to make them gifts for their new home.  I have a few friends who love Scrabble so when I saw this pin I knew I had to make it for their new homes.  I was a little worried at first since I never really worked with a zipper before when sewing, but when I found out this pillow case didn't need a zipper I was excited to get started right away.  Also, this pin is a little different since it's really pinned "For the Home" instead of DIY but I always have a DIY mentality so that's how I approached this pin.  (Also, I apologize since photos were taken with my phone since I didn't have the camera handy.)

If you don't feel like trying to make this yourself, I plan to put this up for sale at my Etsy shop (http://www.etsy.com/shop/SimplyPinspirational) after I complete the current set I am working on.  So please do keep an eye out for the pillow cases.

UPDATE:  Pillow cases are finally listed on my Etsy shop.  You can purchase a set of 4 here.  https://www.etsy.com/listing/119560993/scrabble-pillow-case-16-x-16-set-of-4

• 16x16 pillow (Purchased from Hobby Lobby.  Other sizes also available but this process is for a 16x16)
• Fabric - I purchsed Calico 100% cotton, color: Kona.  I found out that the fabric is 38 inches long which is perfect to cut up 1 pillow case.  
• You need 1 18x18 square and 1 square with at least 18 x 20 (added 2 inches for sewing room and additional 2 to fold the flaps in for cleaner backing) square which will become your pillow back
• When you purchase the fabric keep in mind how many pillows you are making
• For this case I found this rule to be a good rule of thumb: 2 pillows = at least 36in (1 yard) 
• Sewing items (pins/needles, scissors, measuring tape)
• Fabric chalk pencil - something that you can mark for measurements with and will wash off
• Fabric marker - to color in the lettering and it won't wash off
• Optional - small blade/knife & paper binding clips

DIY Marble Necklace

Did you miss me?  My boyfriend took a pretty bad spill on the tennis courts on Sunday so I've been making sure to be available for him in case he needed anything.  He's no longer bed ridden so things are slowing going back to their normal routine.  Hopefully I can also get a blog post up for tomorrow.  If not let's just hope next week I'll be back to my MWF posting schedule.

So, there's only 1 week left until Thanksgiving and I haven't done a single Thanksgiving related post!  Can you believe it?  I can't.  Where has November gone?  Maybe it's because the stores go directly from Halloween to Christmas and Thanksgiving doesn't really get much love.  Since everyone is gearing up for Christmas I decided to as well.  I decided this year for Christmas, seeing that I'm on an unemployed budget, I'm going to make Christmas gifts for my friends.  Since I have quite a few gifts to make I decided I have to start early,  especially since some of my friends live out of town and are visiting in early December so xmas gifts need to be ready to go in a couple of weeks!  I'll probably post a Thanksgiving post later next week when I actually have Thanksgiving dinner and use a recipe from Pintrest, but for now, let the Christmas crafting begin!

Also, friends and family who do read/follow my post I hope you're still surprised to see your gift when you get them since the blog post won't reveal who the gift is for.  :)

(Original pin: http://pinterest.com/pin/231724343298624586/)

Pin Rating: 3.5 (Keep in mind this is a pin rating and not a rating or the final product b/c I love the way it turned out)

Level of difficulty: Medium (If you don't already have sewing experience this may be a bit difficult)

• Marbles or Accent Gems (I picked some up at the Dollar Tree)
• Tulle or some sort of transparent/see through fabric (I used Organza since I had A LOT laying around)
• Sewing items (Sewing machine, pins, measuring tape, scissors, needle, thread, safety pin)
• Cute accent button

Giveaway!~ I Spy DIY: Wire Bow Ring

Pin Rating: 5

Duration: 5-10 minutes

I stumbled upon a pretty awesome blog today - ispydiy.com!  I was looking around on Pintrest to see what I can do for today's Fast and Simple  Friday post and I saw this cute little wire bow ring.  When I followed the pin back to it's original source I was blown away by the posts of blogger Jenni Radosevich with her hip/fashionable DIY tutorials on her blog.  Each blog post has step by step picture instructions as well as written instructions on how to turn high fashion into DIY projects.  This is the first Simply Pinspirational post of her project but it certainly won't be the last!  This project in particular that I did was indeed fast and simple and it gives any outfit that nice little pop/flare in your every day wear.

• Snipping pliers
• Flat nose pliers
• 6" of floral wire (Jenni used Artistic Wire)  You can find floral wire at the Dollar Tree or Michael's.
• Tube of chap stick for sizing

Haunted Mansion Photo shoot @ Disneyland

I'm interrupting the usual Pinspirational blog post with a special announcement today.  Do you remember when I blogged about my Double Rope Braid Bun for my photo shoot with White Rabbit Photo Boutique?  Well, the photos from the photo shoot are up today and I love them all!!  Check them out!

http://whiterabbitphotoboutique.com/blog/2012/11/when-hinges-creak-in-doorless-chambers/

Photo Credit: White Rabbit Photo Boutique

Garlicy Baked Shrimp

Pin Rating: 4.5

Duration: 5 min for prep & 25 minutes for the shrimp dish to bake(~ 20 minutes for the spaghetti - water takes forever to boil!)

My sister has been trying to clean out the freezer for a couple of weeks now since we've seemed to have stock piled the freezer full of food and haven't touched any of it yet.  We just happened to have 1 pound of shrimp and we weren't sure what to make for dinner until my sister reminded me I have a yummy looking shrimp dish pinned on one of my Pintrest boards (http://pinterest.com/pin/231724343298452022/).  The dish came out pretty good, but lacked a little flavor and it was probably due to me not adding white wine since there wasn't already a bottle at home. But other than that, delicious!

• 1 lb. of Medium or Large Shrimp (pre-peeled and deveined will save you a lot of time!)
• 1/4 cup softened butter (I let mine sit out to room temperature)
• 4 cloves of garlic (It calls for sliced but I had some minced - not pictured)
• 2 tbps white wine
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1/4 tsp pepper
• 1/4 cup panko bread crumbs
• 2 tbsp parsley
• Olive oil

Homemade Taco Shells & Bowls

Pin Rating: 5

Duration: 20-30 minutes (7-10 minute cook time per batch)

Mini Rant about the pin: The taco bowl pin drove me a little nuts because when I went to go look at the original instructions there were none!  This was an actual upload by a user so it didn't link up to a website and the pin itself didn't have any instructions.  I'll repin my own picture in a bit with instructions so that there's a good copy out there on Pintrest for everyone to repin.   End of rant. :)

Last month my boyfriend decided he wants to start budgeting a little better so we went grocery shopping.  Some Guerrero corn tortillas were on sale so we grabbed a pack.  Once we got home he decided to have a snack and took one bite of it and almost immediately had a frown on his face.  Apparently these are not the tortillas that he likes.  So since we bought them and we have them I turned to Pintrest for some ways to spice them up a bit so that they're more to his liking.  This quick and simple recipe did the trick!  He loved them and said they were way better this time.  (I made this over at my boyfriend's house and only had my phone so pictures aren't that great but hopefully you can get a good idea of what is going on)

Here's the original pin for the taco shells: http://pinterest.com/pin/231724343298465668/  I used the instructions from this pin to make both shapes of tortilla.

What you'll need:

• Cooking oil (spray or have a brush handy is recommended)
• Tortillas
• Oven rack
• Muffin tin
• Oven @ 375°F

First microwave your tortillas wrapped in paper towel for at least 30 seconds.  This gets them soft and flexible so that they won't break as easily when you're handling them.  I didn't have a brush handy or a spray so I poured some olive oil onto a plate and then dipped the tortilla evenly on both sides.

Happy Halloween from Vanellope von Schweets!!

Happy Halloween Everyone!!

Vanellope Von Schweetz Costume: Part 3

 

Happy Halloween everyone!!  Here's the final piece of my costume that I actually did myself.  (Other pieces are a brown skirt and green and white stockings I had/bought as is) For Part 1 & 2 of my costume blog post check them out here:

Vanellope Von Schweetz Costume Part 1
Vanellope Von Schweetz Costume Part 2

My $7 find at Good Will.  $7 is actually a bit pricey for a frugal unemployed person like me, but I figured it's not going to be just a costume.  It's going to be an investment for winter so it's not bad.  Love love love the color.  I was so excited when I saw this on the rack at Good Will.

It took me 2 evenings to pull the stitching off the GAP letters but it was well worth it!  After a good wash the sweater is good to go.

Pulled out some ribbon that I had and sewed it on and all done!

Final costume picture of everything to come shortly!  Putting everything on right now to get ready for the trick or treaters to come by tonight.

~~~

UPDATE: I used a seam ripper to pull the stitching off of the GAP letters.  Just flip the sweater inside out and start "ripping" the threads.  The front lettering will come loose as you rip more stitches off.  Alternate between ripping the stitches on the inside and the outside but be careful not to rip the actual sweater.  Hope that helps.